Toddler favoring leg/drooping symptoms?

[rlp2955]

Hi all,
    New to the forum.  My wife and I are scared to death and hopefully some folks on this forum can help.  We have a two year old son who has had had no issues with health other than the typical colds, etc.  He did have tubes put in his ears about 4 months ago but had no issues with those since then.  We got a call from his daycare yesterday saying that he was "falling down" a lot and it seemed like his right leg was giving out when he was walking.  Other than that, he was acting like his normal self.  When we picked him up later that day, the director pulled my wife aside and said that it was "worse" than what the teachers had put on...and that they noticed a "slight" drooping in his face.  We immediately took him to the dx yesterday and all his signs checked out.  They have scheduled him for an MRI on a preventative basis for tomorrow.  I ran around the house with him all night last night and he didn't fall down once.  He seemed like his same old self to me.

Obviously, those symptoms sound like what you would hear in a typical stroke type situation.  The dx thought it was highly, highly unlikely that something like this would have occured at such a young age.  

Any thoughts or feedback???

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW]

Strokes do occur in small kids. A relatively common presentation is when a stroke occurs in the womb, but it is not apparent until much later, with growth and development, that the child is favoring one side, or limping.

Alternatively, strokes can occur in kids, not from the usual atherosclerosis as in older adults, but from things like artery tears from truama, sickle cell disease, and blood clotting disorders.

The first thing is to have a good neurological examination by a pediatric neurologist - this should tell for sure if there is an abnormal neuroloigal examination/weakness etc or not

An MRI is then test of choice to make the diagnosis, and should be done in any child with neurological symptoms that are localized to one side of the body. Stroke is not necesarily the diagosis, there are other things that caue focal neurological symptoms such as migraines, tumors, growths, aftereffects of seizures among others.

Good luck

[who_is_this]

So the neurologist doesn't think it is Lyme disease?  Hm.

[rlp2955]

Thanks everyone for your comments.  The MRI was fine...no issues.  We never did see the symptoms with our own eyes...I guess we will chalk this up to just being cautious and more of a one time event.  Definitely will be watching him more closely over the coming weeks.  Thanks.

[hotsprings]

My four year old son is also experiencing a problem with limping.
His face isn't drooping, but we are switching pediatricians because the other one checked his body out---no blood work, nothing and pretty much said take two asperin and don't call us.
This was last Thursday that the limp began.  His school at first thought his leg was "asleep".  He's getting around a lot better, but sometimes just lays in the middle of the floor.  He doesn't seem to have any pain, just the odd limp in his right leg.
Let us know if you get anywhere.  We have to wait another month to see a pediatric neurologist, then who knows how long for an MRI.  I'm tired of this "referral process" I don't understand why children have to wait so long.
Good Luck. Be Vigilent!!!!

[who_is_this]

Is there ANYTHING Carol, that is NOT Lyme disease?  It is highly unlikely that this is the answer to what is going on with this child.  I understand that if you have had some sort of personal experience with Lyme disease, that everything begins to look like Lyme disease to you.  But the list I've seen posted here of virtually hundreds of symptoms and the claim that "tests don't always work" make it seem as though 90% of the population has it.  If you took any average person and gave them the list of "Lyme" symptoms, every one of them would have the disease.  They don't.  This is a toddler we're talking about.  Not that infants and toddlers can't have it, but that it is EXTREMELY unlikely.  I'm sorry to sound harsh, but this is virtually the only suggestion you ever have for anyone.  The entire planet does not have Lyme disease, but according to the symptoms, we all do.  
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I wish the original poster the best of luck, it may take a while for the neuro here to answer.   I'm sure you will have him seen by a pediatric neurologist who will look at all the possibilities.